Moving on...again

Our time in California is winding down. The movers came yesterday and packed up our apartment, so we've got three more nights' sleep on an air mattress until we move out of here. Bless those movers. They come in and pack and load everything, down to the paper towels I had set aside to do the final cleanup. We even had a separate company to pack for our massive flat-screen TV. How precious is that?



Funny story about the movers. Super nice guys; one of them shared our last name, which doesn't happen often. They were down packing our storage unit, and I noticed that the microwave that had been sitting in the common laundry room had been moved out into the garage next to our storage unit. I made sure they knew it wasn't ours, and in doing so said that it had been sitting in the laundry room for months and I had no idea what was going on with it or why it had been moved. So hours later, after our storage unit had been emptied, I noticed that the microwave had gone missing. I asked about it and Shared-Last-Name was like, "Yeah, I took it. You said it had been in the laundry room forever and I have a buddy who needs a microwave."

Um....Ok? I'm all for someone taking something and getting use out of it, but WHO DOES THAT!? Plus, if the microwave was moved from the laundry room, someone obviously moved it...and maybe it belongs to that somebody? Oh, movers. You crack me up.

It seems like just yesterday that Alan and I packed up and headed out to California. Now, we're sitting in a near-empty apartment on an air mattress, getting ready for another long haul. We leave on Sunday. And while I'm really excited to move out and move on, there is a part of me that's a little heartbroken about leaving the West Coast. We've had so much fun out here and so many adventures. It's just sad to close a door, even if another equally exciting and adventure-filled journey lies just down the road. Or way, way across the country.

I'm trying not to be too sad, though. Sure, I'll miss the beautiful weather (although there are those hot spells) and the strawberries the size of my hand.


But honestly, as much as I love California, as long as this guy's with me, I'm home no matter where I am.

Mighty Yosemite

In our last few weeks in California, Alan and I have been busy trying to cram in a few things we'd wanted to do while we were out here. We knew it would be a travesty if we didn't make it to Yosemite, so a few weeks ago we drove up on a Saturday and did a much-too-short whirlwind tour of the park. Honestly, it's a travesty that it took us this long to get there. I would have loved to have been able to go a few times and go on some of the hikes that I'm sure are amazing. As it was, we got to look at a lot of great scenery, but we didn't have the time to explore the zillion hiking trails there.

We did arrive at about dusk on a Saturday, though, and were able to hit a grove of sequoias that had a short hike to a tree called the Grizzly Giant. Even at dusk it took your breath away (and that's not just because we were literally out of breath after having to sprint to the end of the hike because of the darkness). You can't even fathom how huge and amazing these trees are until you're up close and personal, but this picture of an uprooted fallen sequoia might give you a good idea of how awesome they are:


That picture needs no explanation because it is just CRAZY.

Even Marti came out to enjoy nature at its finest. I'm wearing my glasses because they're not kidding when they say that hydrogen peroxide contact lens cleaner "only works with provided contact case" and that it will burn like hell if it touches your eyes. I was later able to throw my contacts in after major rinsing with saline, but it was a scarring experience. Almost literally.


Alan winks with Half Dome in the background.


The views at every stop are amazing. This is a view down into the valley; you can see one of the waterfalls.

Yosemite was so awe-inspiring that I think if I had another month out here I'd be able to convince Alan to go camping in the park. Alan. Camping. I told you it was an amazing place.

Surfin' Safari

My former boss told me that one of the greatest places to visit in Northern California is Elkhorn Slough, an estuary/nature reserve close to Monterey. It had been on my to-do list for two years, but Alan and I finally got down there earlier this summer and it did not disappoint. It's basically a salt marsh along the coastline that is home to lots of wildlife—sea otters, seals, sea lions, and birds.


I think there are trails to walk, but we rented a kayak for a few hours and that was really the way to go. Besides getting to see Safari Alan...

...we got to get up close and personal with all of the animals. You're supposed to give the wildlife a wide berth, but it is nearly impossible to stay far away from them. The sea lions and seals can pop up in the water right in front of you at any moment. At times it felt like Jaws.



We even saw a sea otter battling with a crab. You can see the crab in this photo sticking out of the water. It was a fight to the death; I'm sure the sea otter came out on top.

After a few hours of nature, we navigated our way back through the slough, Alan with a blister and me, jeans wet from the waist down. Note: Water "skirts" only serve to prevent water seepage when they don't have holes in them. Note No. 2: Following suggestions from the kayak rental facility can save the day when you have the extra clothes you need after a kayaking trip. Good thing I follow directions.